


go find a new dream

by grxceful



Category: NCT (Band), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Inspired by Tangled (2010), M/M, ft. my fav character of all time aka Louis, kun is the human embodiment of the "he's a little confused but he's got the spirit" textpost, prepare for angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:15:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24610657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grxceful/pseuds/grxceful
Summary: Looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what it would feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything Kun dreamed it would be?
Relationships: Suh Youngho | Johnny/Qian Kun
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. lately i've lost sight of the truth in those words

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the Disney Movie : Tangled; my own spin on the movie. But first, some things must be said :
> 
> 1) The work is heavily inspired by Tangled, so many scenes will feel very familiar. However, I will assure you that things are not what they seem like.  
> 2) Yes, Pascal is Louis. I love Louis.  
> 3) Some characters do some Stuff that they really shouldn't but please know that I love each and every person I have mentioned and that this work does not reflect my personal opinions on them. They are all wonderful but this is fiction and fiction sometimes requires antagonists.  
> 4) This work is pretty much complete as of right now as this was supposed to a submission for a fic-fest but I want to retouch some bits so updates will be a little slow (as always because college)  
> 5) Special thank you to Anubis for her seal of approval and also for supporting me and beta-reading it. (ily)
> 
> Cool. I really hope you'll like it! (its my first proper work please be nice haha)

“Louis, stop!” 

A soft crash, followed by a woeful yelp. Kun rolled his eyes, throwing the half-knitted sweater aside to run after him. 

“See, I told you so.” Kun said, gently pulling the siamese kitten into his arms; who kept yowling like a petulant child. Kun hushed him softly, rubbing his back to console him. Once Louis seemed calmer, Kun looked at the smudged spot on the freshly painted wall where the cat had run into head-first, while chasing a spool of yarn. He sighed, putting the kitten down to paint over it again. He did this every other day; painting the walls to match those that he would see in his dreams. Painting over the little paw-prints that the little mischief monger would put on his beautiful golden walls. Repainting next week, once the dreams changed.

He picked up the brushes and carefully put another layer of gold over the walls, resolving to keep a more vigilant eye on Louis. While he painted, the cat lay lazily on its back; smack in the middle of Kun’s room. He basked in the soft rays of the setting sun that broke into the room through its only window. Oh, to be a lazy kitten sleeping at six in the evening. Kun thought to himself. 

“I’m home, Kun!”

The panic in Louis’ eyes was apparent as he scrambled away to hide next to the bookshelves. Kun let himself smile at the cleverness of his kitten, as he pushed the brushes into a pot of brown water. 

“Welcome home, Zhan-ge.” He yelled, leaning over the windowsill. He closed his eyes and touched the nape of his neck, softly rubbing the ends of his hair. 

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine._

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bend to my will what is mine._

His fingers were covered by strong dark hair as his hair began growing out of control. They overflowed, snaking over the windowsill and down below. Within the blink of an eye, his hair grew like strong ropes of jute. Kun smiled as Zhan grabbed a large fistful of hair and tied it around himself. 

“Pull me up!” 

Kun’s smile didn’t waver in the slightest, as he slung his hair over the pulley system that Zhan had built, for this exact purpose. Zhan tugged impatiently at Kun’s strands, and Kun bit back a yelp of pain; simply pulling at his own hair like a rope pulling up a bucket full of water out of a well.

Once he leapt into the tower, Zhan smiled, throwing the straw basket in his hands aside to pull Kun into an embrace.

“Happy birthday!”

Kun didn’t let go, smiling into the hug. So he did remember. He bathed in the relief that it brought him. Zhan always had to leave at five in the morning for his “work”. What “work” meant, Kun never really knew. Not that he hadn’t asked. Zhan never really wanted to talk about it. He simply woke up early, ate three slices of bread, and left the tower while Kun slept. 

However, he would always stay home on Kun’s birthday. Those were the days Kun cherished the most. They would eat breakfast together, and they would spend the day playing cards. Zhan would teach him a clever magic trick or two. Those days weren’t a lot, but Kun still loved them. 

When Kun woke up to any empty room that morning, his heart sank. He ran to check the calendar, hoping he’d just miscalculated. Just then, Louis jumped through the window sill, nibbling at some leftover slices of bread on Zhan’s plate. Kun went back to bed, eyes brimming with tears.

“I’m sorry.” 

Kun pulled away from the hug, startled by the apology. Zhan never apologized. Not even when he was in the wrong. 

“I wanted to bring you a present. I must have gotten carried away. I’m sorry I didn’t come home sooner.”

Kun’s eyes widened. _Present?_ “You already gave me a present!”

Zhan, who was rummaging through his satchel, froze as the words escaped Kun’s lips. Surely, he hadn’t forgotten? He promised me last year. 

“Forget about that.”

Kun’s blood stilled. _Forget about that?_ The thought of going to see the lanterns was the only thing that had kept him going. He had spent a year, patiently waiting to turn eighteen; just to go see the lanterns. How could he simply forget about such a thing?

“Zhan-ge, you promised me! You promised we’d go look at the lanterns together!”

“I’m sorry, Kun”, he said, pressing a golden cupcake into Kun’s hands. “This is all I could get you.”

The cupcake was pretty; though a little smashed at the edges. Tiny red stars glimmered on the top, along with the letter “K” iced upon the golden cream in a vibrant shade of crimson. Kun’s mind was still reeling; he wanted to throw the cupcake away, pound it to pieces and throw it out of the window. He didn’t want it. 

“I’m really sorry”, Zhan repeated, seeing the anger in Kun’s eyes. Kun looked up from the cupcake and at Zhan’s pleading eyes. A bout of pity rose in his chest. 

“Why can’t we go see the lanterns?” 

Zhan sighed, curling into Kun’s reading nook. He cradled his head in his hands, his face showing deep sadness and frustration. 

“It’s too far away. If we start now, we won’t make it in time.”

Kun narrowed his eyes. He’d never set foot outside the tower; he didn’t really know where the lanterns would be pushed into the sky. He could, however, tell that Zhan was lying through his teeth. 

“I understand.”

Zhan looked up, his eyes betraying his relief. He was quick to change his face to appear as though he was filled with “guilt” but Kun had caught it. He let his suspicions slide away, at least for now. There was no point in ruining the day even further. He bit into the cupcake, and let the sweet flavour devour his taste buds and envelope his mind in joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the title is taken from the song dream lantern by RADWIMPS
> 
> (leave kudos and comments please!)


	2. could have been my happy ever after

Rustling of pages. Followed by a loud hiss. Crash. 

“What are y-”

Another crash. Louder hissing. A loud yowl.

Kun cracked his eyes open, full of fear. His head was dangling freely, and from that angle he couldn’t really see what was going on. He quickly lifted his head, almost falling off his chair. 

“Help! Get it off me?”

Kun’s eyes didn’t search for long before settling on the tall man struggling on the floor a few feet away from Zhan’s bed. Kun couldn’t tell who this man was, for his face was covered by Louis, who was currently scratching away at the stranger’s face without mercy.

Kun scrambled out of the chair and lifted the kitten off the man’s visage, stroking his fur to stop the angry little creature. He was honestly a little flattered that the tiny feline had acted bravely to defend an unconscious Kun. He could’ve gotten harmed really badly; he knows the humans aren’t to be trusted at all. Zhan has told him all about the horrifying things they do. 

“Thanks.”

Kun looked up from the furious kitten to the man who now sat cross-legged on the floor. His hair was the first thing Kun noticed. It was bright red, almost as vivid as the icing on Kun’s birthday cupcake. It looked soft, though tangled; and it was shorter than his own. Kun wondered how this man had red hair. None of the people Zhan had brought over to the tower had hair anywhere as beautiful as this intruder’s. _Intruder. Right._

Kun realized he was simply staring at this strange man who’d broken into the tower. It wasn’t particularly hard to break into the tower, Kun realised. The window wasn’t locked; not that they had to. Nobody other than Kun could let people inside. Louis jumped out of Kun’s arms, and sat down beside his feet; his eyes trained upon the stranger. Kun used his now free hand to subconsciously touch the back of his head. Nothing more than a mullet. 

Alarmed, Kun picked up the closest thing he could grab; which just so happened to be the encyclopedia of Biological Sciences that had lulled him to sleep last night. The strange man took a second to comprehend the situation before him, but before his eyes could light up completely with fear, Kun had already hit him on the back of his head.

The man’s eyes closed shut, and he slumped face-first onto the floor; giving Kun the fright of his life. It would be unfortunate if Zhan found a dead man in the tower after coming home from a long day of "work". Louis mewed in confusion, pressing his nose against the man’s ear. Kun stood there, petrified for a second. What was he to do next? None of Zhan’s instructions had covered the dos and don’ts in the case of an intruder. 

Louis looked up at Kun, his wide eyes full of questions. 

“I wish I had any clue, buddy.”

Kun looked at the wooden chair that lay askew on the floor after Kun had jumped out of it from his slumber. He sighed. “Louis, windowsill. Alert me if you hear or see Zhan-ge coming.” The kitten promptly rushed over to the window, puffing out his tiny chest as he stared outside. 

“Wh-Dude, is that  _ hair _ ?”

Deep voice. He sounded like that old man who’d visited them when Kun was five years old and had somehow gotten an impossibly high fever.  _ The boy is not meant to be locked up here, he should be frolicking through the woods!  _ Kun hadn't seen the man again, not even when he'd coughed up blood and begged Zhan to get him the doctor. Zhan's friend had come over next day with some herbs and a smelly potion, and later that day he was cured of the mystery ailment. 

“Who are you?” Kun asked, pointing a dagger at the intruder’s throat. He’d found the dagger in the guy’s satchel, while digging through it for any clues on he might be. Yes, Kun had no idea how to wield it, but he sure was ready to maim. How difficult could it be? Just stab and retract. 

“Wait, is that  _ my  _ knife? Who are  _ you _ ? Is this  _ hair _ ? Did you tie me up with  _ hair _ , dude what the f-” 

“Answer me. Who are you, and what’s your business here? You don’t seem to be one of those serious killers who goes around creating corpses for the thrill of it-" 

“Dude,  _ no. _ First of all,  _ serial _ killers. Secondly, is this  _ your  _ hair?” 

“Yes. What about it?”

“That’s...I mean, just...how?! How does it work? I’d grown my hair out this one time when I was locked up and let me tell you,” the man whistled comically, “it was a hell of a time. So many knots.”

Kun’s face scrunched up in annoyance. He used the edge of the dagger to lift the man’s chin up, praying he seemed all intimidating and cool. Much to Kun’s disappointment, the action simply elicited a laugh from the stranger. Kun glared, angrier than before.

“Who  _ are _ you?” He growled, somehow offended by his melodious laughter. It felt like he was mocking Kun; like he was nothing but a child. It made his blood boil.

“Johnny Suh”, the man said, raising his left eyebrow. His plump lips curved somewhat upwards, a little lopsidedly; as his eyelids closed ever-so-slightly, with his eyes filled with an emotion Kun had never really seen before. “The one and only.” He added, with a grin, as though it was supposed to mean something.

“Alright, Johnny Suh. Why are you here? Why didn’t you kill me?”

“I’m not a serial killer, dude!” Johnny said, struggling to move his hands that were tied tightly to the wooden chair behind his back. “Let me  _ go _ , I’m sorry!”

“Tell me what you want, and I’ll let you go.”

It wasn’t the smartest decision. Kun had no way of knowing if Johnny was lying or not. Johnny could cook up something harmless and then the second Kun untied him, he could pull him into a headlock and strangle him to death. He doubted Louis could help him survive in any way. 

“Okay, but promise me you won’t tell on me.”

“Tell on you? To Zhan-ge?”

“Who the fuc- Okay, you know what? Just promise me you won’t tell a soul. About me. Coming in here.”

Kun considered it for a second. A promise wasn’t really binding, right? Unless he shook upon it. Which Johnny couldn’t do with both his hands tied up. Kun nodded. 

“I’m a thief.”

Kun grimaced.

“No, not a petty one”, he said, lifting his chin in some sort of twisted pride, “The thief that stole the Neo jewels.”

Kun scowled harder, throwing the dagger onto the floor, far enough so Johnny couldn’t immediately grab it and attempt to assault him. 

_ Flower, gleam and glow _

_ Let your power shine. _

_ Make the clock reverse _

_ Bend to my will what is mine. _

The dark locks that wrapped around Johnny quickly unwound, hastily retreating towards Kun. It was like pulling the bathtub plug, as heaps of hair curled behind Kun; climbing up his back and disappearing into thin air.

Johnny was no longer bound, but he stayed frozen; watching in utter fascination as Kun’s hair reduced to a simple mullet. Kun couldn’t help the blush creeping up his cheeks as Johnny’s wide brown eyes did not flicker in the least. Clearing his throat, Kun raised an eyebrow at Johnny pointedly.

“I had to hide. They’re on my ass. And they will hang me”, Johnny explained, moving his hands around, animatedly. 

“If they catch you.”

Johnny nodded, sighing. “Please, just...don’t tell anyone I was here.”

Kun could do that. It’s not like Zhan would ask him about it. He pressed the bridge of his nose, indecisively. Kun really didn’t want someone’s blood on his hands. Then again, where was he supposed to go? The tower was hidden away, on the outskirts of the town, and almost nobody knew about them. Zhan would definitely freak out if anyone knew about the tower; as he had when six year old Kun had befriended the town boy on the run from his family. Kun had never seen gege that angry; as he had yelled at Ten, holding the small boy by the collar. Needless to say, Kun never saw Ten ever again.  _ You don’t know the world, Kunnie. Never let anyone inside. Understand? _

Kun turned around to tell Johnny he couldn’t. He really couldn’t face that again. The best option here was for Johnny to stay here, stay till Zhan-ge came home. Then, they could sit together, and decide what would be the most peaceful option. He certainly hoped Zhan-ge would let Johnny stay with them. It would be nice to have someone other to talk to all day other than Louis.

Peace, however, was not an option. All Kun saw before the darkness engulfed his conscious thoughts was the panic in Johnny’s pretty brown eyes, as he lifted the encyclopedia of Biological Sciences and brought it down on the side of Kun’s head.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from the song robin hood by anson seabra
> 
> (there is a [ playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4uVd5IRP2PoGGuBYSAYmJh?si=WIjqreU5SPGtqzYYm0AyRg) for this fic btw!)
> 
> (thank you for reading <3)


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